CNA Explains: How are athletes selected to represent Singapore at major games?

SINGAPORE: Singapore's top distance runner Soh Rui Yong will miss the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China after being once again left out of the national selection.

The 31-year-old was not included in the Singapore National Olympic Council's (SNOC) list of successful appeals for the Games, published on Jun 8. 

This came a month after Soh clinched a silver medal in the men's 10,000m race at the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Cambodia, setting a new national record in the process.

Soh's participation in Phnom Penh marked the end of a more than five-year absence from major games following several clashes with SNOC, which led to his exclusion from the 2019 and 2021 editions of the SEA Games despite meeting the qualification criteria both times.

SNOC said its appeals committee for the Asian Games considered Singapore Athletics’ nomination for Soh’s participation, and decided not to select him. 

"The committee found Mr Soh to have failed to honour commitments which he had provided to the SNOC, including on occasions following his participation at the Cambodia 2023 SEA Games," a spokesperson said in a statement.

"In particular, Mr Soh continued to make disparaging and derisive remarks about others in the public domain. This behaviour does not commensurate with his apology given, undermines the sincerity of his commitment to avoid posting controversial content on social media, and renders his assurance to conduct himself in a more constructive, mature and professional manner hollow.

“It is unfortunate that notwithstanding efforts made to support and rehabilitate him, the committee is not satisfied that he has changed for the better to earn selection for the Asian Games."

The news has split sentiment online, with some expressing